Welcome back to the Meridian Mill House™ blog series on the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). Last month, as a lead into this section, we took a look at Shaniko Wool Company and the first results of their ongoing Carbon Initiative as one of the ways they are working to improve the land while caring for their flocks. This month we’ll be returning to the text of RWS itself to explore the goals and requirements of the first half of Section D- Land Management Criteria.
There is a lot to cover in this breakdown that many may be unfamiliar with. To keep from hitting information overload (I know I’m prone to it!), we have decided to split this section into two. This first half will cover expectations around soil conservation and maintaining the ecological biodiversity on RWS farms and ranches.
Land Management, More than Overgrazing and Sowing Pastures
Now, it may seem obvious that the land should be cared for to some degree in order to keep ranging animals healthy, however the scope of what this kind of upkeep means is more in-depth than many realize. Beyond just over-grazing and maintaining grass pastures, these expectations dive into the heart of maintaining healthy ecosystems by breaking down the management into key components- just like in animal welfare- before detailing the most important features to monitor or act on.
Moving forward, we’ll explore these core components, the direct intent behind them, and the effect they have both on you as the consumer, the health of the environment, and the health of the flocks that provide your fiber. If you need a full refresher of the scope of requirement categorization and RWS structure, you can see our first article here. In brief, however, requirements fall under: ‘critical’ which calls for immediate suspension or refusal of certification, ‘major’ which allows for a 30-day rectification period, or ‘minor’ that allows for 60 days before issues become considered ‘major.’
From the Ground Up: Soil, the Foundation of Healthy Farmland
“Farmers have an understanding of what will impact the health of their soil, and have a strategy to mitigate damage and improve soil health.” This is the desired outcome for LM1. Soil as stated within the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS 2.2, 35). To guide farmers, requirements cover a range of protective measures, including management planning, degradation, and physical composition. About half of the individual requirements here are, to little surprise, marked as ‘major’ in reference to receiving or maintaining RWS certification.
Familiarly, the first among the outlined standards for soil is to avoid land degradation by overgrazing “and/or other management techniques.” It seems straightforward and simple, but an expansion is also offered here in the need for a written management plan. While some risks to the land vary from farm to farm, standard needs included in the plan should cover forage, erosion, soil compaction, and organic matter. From this point, the standard expands, including requiring steps to be taken in order to minimize erosion or repair areas damaged by erosion, as well as to prevent, minimize, and restore loss of organic matter- such as decomposing plant or animal material- in the soil (RWS 2.2, 35).
To accomplish these goals, monitoring is expected as a part of land management plans. Along with organic matter and nutrient levels, other key indicators are also expected to be monitored. While not listed explicitly in the primary guide, these health indicators can include carbon levels, microbial activity, soil structure, and the pH of the soil. Monitoring sites are also regulated- with a specific “Monitoring Guidance Document” available to explain the number and distribution based on various farm criteria. Further indication is given that any famers using public lands for grazing should demonstrate that all criteria stated by the public authority for that area are met or exceeded. Finally, another hazardous material warning, similar to the one in Section C- Animal Welfare, states that hazmat should not be disposed of on farmland unless specifically lawful and it is safe to continue grazing on affected farmland (RWS 2.2, 36).
So, what does all this mean in context? From a farming and environmental perspective, healthy soils are a cornerstone. With improved health comes better soil structure and fertility, which reduces erosion and can increase biodiversity. It also helps with improved water infiltration, improving the quality of groundwater supplies. These are integral for plant growth and yield, which improves the quality of forage for livestock. This directly contributes to the health of the livestock, and as they say “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Healthier land and livestock are always good for the famer, but they’re good for the consumer. With better ecological sustainability and food security- in this case for the sheep and other biodiversity- there is a significant improvement in economic resilience over all, as sheep produce better quality wool and less outside interference (feed purchase, extra infrastructure to make up for unaddressed degradation or erosion, etc) is needed to maintain the day to day needs of the farm. Not only are you more likely to have better quality fiber, but healthier sheep also result in better yield as well. Best of all, certification of following best practices like those seen here offer the confidence of knowing your wool is sourced from eco-sustainable ranches.
More than Grass: Biodiversity and Water, the Living Systems behind Wool Ranching
“Desired outcome: Farmers have an understanding of what will impact the biodiversity of their land, and have a strategy to protect and improve it over time. (RWS 2.2, 37).”
A misconception I have personally noticed, being from a very rural agricultural area, is that many people think that pastureland is all grass and, often, specifically grass like they’re used to seeing in their own yards. The latter isn’t necessarily untrue, but it’s also not the whole picture, nor the only thing being considered when the Responsible Wool Standard begins to cover Biodiversity and Water in Section D. While grasses and other flora biodiversity is absolutely covered at length, the natural diversity of the native fauna is also covered from multiple angles. This is where we see “water” in Biodiversity and Water come into play as well, as these are not regulations for drinking water necessarily, but for maintaining aquatic ecosystems. All of this is set to be addressed in either an individual farm or farm group Biodiversity Management Plan, where everything is kept documented and recorded.
Beginning from the most familiar: floral biodiversity is addressed primarily on page 37 of the Responsible Wool Standard 2.2 guidelines document (though there is some overlap with fauna here), with a brief follow up at the end of the section. Here the expectations are split into two general outlines: 1) forage resources and grazing management and 2) invasive/alien species. The former is fairly straight forward. Farmers are expected to keep their livestock out of areas important to biodiversity when there could be negative impact to the native vegetation, natural ecosystem cycle, or wildlife. They are also expected to manage stocking rates and grazing practices to avoid overgrazing, excess erosion, or compacting the soil so that biodiversity is maintained and encouraged, reflecting the importance of native species within pasturelands. Finally, they are also required to identify and take appropriate restoration measures for any degraded areas of land within their farms. The latter outline is brief, but equally vital for the health of farmland. Farmers are prohibited from introducing any invasive species to their lands and are expected to take steps to prevent any accidental and/or unintentional introduction of them. This means they are expected to monitor soil transportation, plant material, water, etc in order to maintain native vegetation and fauna as much as possible without the addition of alien species. In the event of existing alien, invasive species on ranches, whether by spread from outside or accident or otherwise, farmers must adopt measures to prevent the spread of and remove these species from the ecosystem (RWS 2.2, 37). Towards the end of the section, there is also the addition of two regulations that address concerns covering deforestation or conversion of land. These regulations state that existing native vegetation within productive areas of the farm should be protected and maintained and include “ existing vegetated zones adjacent to aquatic ecosystems,” hedgerows or ditches that create original field boundaries and “large native trees.” It is also noteworthy that from June 1, 2016, the deforestation of natural land or conversion of such natural ecosystems- including aquatic ecosystems- should not have taken place on RWS certified farms. Production activities are also stated as prohibited from significantly impacting biodiversity in areas where “Key Biodiversity Areas” or “Protected Areas” are designated (RWS 2.2, 38-39).
You may notice that these last requirements expand to cover more into wetlands and even potential wildlife biodiversity on ranchlands, and that is exactly the perfect way to move into these next requirements. As previously mentioned, “Biodiversity and Water” is about more than grass and drinking water for flocks. The remaining criteria of LM2 directly pertains to wildlife biodiversity and the conservation and enhancement of natural water bodies or other aqueous ecosystems. Riparian ecosystems, or the wetlands and spaces leading up to bodies of water and rivers, are required to be protected and restored and forbidden from being drained if they constitute wetlands within the ranch or farmlands.
Riverbanks should be managed, just like grazing lands, for erosion and run off. While there is an expectation of buffer zones where manure and pesticides should be restricted. At the same time wildlife-livestock conflicts are to be minimized through the monitoring of predator behavior and populations while adopting proactive co-existence plans to deter predation. Examples of this include the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs as we mentioned in our Animal Welfare article back in January. Preservation of biodiversity demands that lethal force against predators be used as a last resort and be carried out humanely, resulting in instantaneous unconsciousness and death. Farmers cannot use “general” untargeted methods of lethal force such as poison or snares, and lethal control cannot be used for protected, threatened or endemic predator species. Whenever a target, problematic individual must be put down, farmers must keep a record that includes species, date, and reasoning, and trigger a review of their non-lethal methods to identify space to avoid future conflict. The fauna biodiversity preservation criteria also forbids hunting, fishing, or gathering of protected, threatened, or endemic animal and plant species.
This is a particularly dense grouping of regulations that may be even less clear in how they affect you and the system overall. After all, we’re facing centuries worth of deprogramming on the “wonders” of clearing and developing farmlands and the “need” to remove predators from human-maintained spaces, both from an economic and safety/health standpoint. However, we can assure you that these regulations aren’t here just to make sheep ranchers’ lives harder!
First of all, from an agricultural perspective, natural biodiversity- native plants, insects, soil composition with microorganisms- can reduce input costs by improving nutrient cycling and fertility, stabilizing the landscape, and offering natural pest control. It also creates a better environment for the landscape and livestock to weather droughts, heatwaves, heavy rain or other native climate extremes or events without excessive erosion or loss in resilience and without the need for farmers to create more infrastructure. The diversity in forage also offers a wider range of micronutrients with more consistent seasonal feed, leading to healthier sheep with better quality and higher yield of wool. Beyond that, biodiversity is, put simply, a necessity. Natural habitat preservation supports climate regulation, water cycles, pollination, and soil fertility- the invisible base of all agriculture, even livestock rearing. Even maintaining 20-25% of a natural ecosystem causes significantly better production than on farms that are heavily cleared. Per the World Bank, producers with less than 10% of the natural ecosystem maintained often collapse entirely. And yes, this biodiversity includes the natural predators within an ecosystem. Too many herbivores or “pest” species, and you risk more than overgraze from just your livestock- especially in open grazing lands. In short, not only do these measures not impede farmers, but in the long run they can save money and ensure that farm viability is maintained from generation to generation without decline in long-term production.
For you as the consumer, these requirements also contribute to the benefits we have discussed and that you value in natural, sustainable fibers like wool. The high quality you look for is increased, and in more quantity, when shorn from sheep who function with less stress, better forage through the grazing seasons, and stable pasture or grazing lands. The research backs regenerative land care offering better consistency and quality from fiber flocks. We also know that many of you are looking for more ethical and sustainable sourcing in your materials- it’s a huge reason that we’re here making series like this for you! With regulations against deforestation, ecosystem conversion, overgrazing, and invasive species, you can be confident that the product you support is improving and maintaining environmental health whenever you see the Responsible Wool Standard seal. You can also rest assured that RWS isn’t just “greenwashing” their certified farms when you see the regulations that, initially, may feel strange or excessive like riparian buffers or delicate predator management. Rather, if you look more closely at the context, they are actively working in favor of the local ecology instead of just “looking good” to the public. The transparency, better wool, and strong ethics gives you suppliers you know you can feel confident standing by.
Both of these combined created the economic benefit we look for. Stable farms, with better production and less interfering infrastructure over natural land management provide better quality and higher quantities of wool from healthier, less stressed sheep. This in turn creates a better economy for the fiber, both in general textiles and in more direct applications of consumer craft- such as wider availability of higher quality products at better prices. This can also drive local economies if farms are able to build up and increase their production capacity and quality as they improve their grazing land and potentially expand.
Key Takeaways for Crafters and Wool-Lovers
Meridian Mill House™ is a prime example of a downstream result in this Responsible Wool Standard line up. We have worked together with our primary wool supplier, Shaniko Wool Company, to offer transparency in your fiber and a higher quality wool from within the United States. But what else can you take away from this blog?
· Healthy soil is the foundation of land stewardship and the Responsible Wool Standard requirements aren’t just more paperwork. They’re the heart of keeping these ranchlands productive. Preventing erosion, maintaining organic matter, and monitoring land creates an environment for better forage, healthier sheep, and more resilient farm ecosystem.
· Biodiversity is more than just “grass for sheep.” It runs the gamut of native plant, insect, and wildlife, even including aquatic ecosystems that may be present. Ensuring these natural systems are protected, or restored when needed, creates a better ability for the land to handle climate extremes with less need for outside input like more purchased feed or extra built infrastructure.
· Invasive species control, protection of native biodiversity (flora and fauna), and maintenance of wetland or riparian areas create a more stable and self-sustainable environment. Farms save time and money when these natural systems are able to function as intended and avoid degradation or decline that can take years or even generations to repair.
· The shared benefit is simple: stronger, more sustainable farms produce healthier sheep, which in turn produce better wool and contribute to a more resilient fiber and textile economy. When ranches work with the natural land and it’s processes, the result is better quality wool, more consistent production of that wool, and a fiber that consumers can confidently support.
Next month we’ll be back to take a look at the second half of Section D, Fertilizers and Pesticides, and how these regulations contribute to the health of ranches and their sheep.
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